The UHChoirs welcomed famed conductor and pedagogue Rodney Eichenberger to the music department on Wednesday, September 17. Eichenberger led rehearsals for both the Concert Choir and Chambers Singers who are diligently preparing for a late November concert.
Concert Choir alto Lucía Puente Trevino noticed how Prof. Eichenberger was able to elicit students’ best singing without relying on detailed technical explanations. Shannon Harrison, a guitarist singing in Concert Choir, was excited by the way Prof. Eichenberger connected his specific conducting gestures to the way the ensemble sang. Dr. Miguel Felipe, director of choral activities said, “We’re so fortunate to welcome Prof. Eichenberger to campus. He brings decades of experience on the podium to our rehearsal. To watch the students light up as he worked with them was a real treat. As we work toward our November concert, the ideas he shared will help inspire our best.”
The Concert Choir, with about 50 students, and Chamber Singers, with 24 auditioned singers, are two of four ensembles that make up the UHChoirs. The University Chorus, conducted by Michael Lippert, is a ‘town-gown’ choir that welcomes both university and community singers. The Hawaiian Chorus, founded in the 1970s by Dorothy K. Gillett and currently conducted by Nola A. Nāhulu, is the nation’s only collegiate choir dedicated to the Hawaiian choral tradition.
Prof. Rodney Eichenberger is known for his work teaching at Florida State University, the University of Southern California, and The University of Washington. He has lectured and guest conducted throughout the United States as well as Sweden, British Columbia, Argentina, Holland, Austria, Singapore, and Korea. Prof. Eichenberger has long been an active participant in choral music education in Australia and New Zealand.